Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motorcycle having features related to a frame structure for mounting and supporting an engine or similar member, an engine suspending structure, and a cowling.
Description of the Related Art
As this type of frame structure, for example, in a straddle-type vehicle described in Patent Document 1, an engine bracket 9, which supports an engine 8, extends in the above-below direction and is mounted on a front end portion 2e under the head pipe of a vehicle body frame 2 so as to be suspended in a front wall portion 8i of the engine 8 under that. In this case, the engine bracket 9 includes two bent portions in a vehicle side view.
In a vehicle front view of the engine bracket 9, the engine suspending portion on the lower side is fastened in one position near the vehicle body centerline. The mount to the vehicle body frame 2 on the upper side is fastened in three positions near the vehicle body centerline within the frame outer shape. The mount of the radiator is mounted on the engine bracket 9.
Motorcycles include a type having a cowling (sometimes referred to as a “cowl body”), which covers the outer side of equipment such as the engine. Patent Document 2 discloses the configuration where of a motorcycle having a cowling for continuously covering the portion from both right and left sides to the lower side in the engine with the cowling. Then, in the case of a watercooled engine, a radiator for cooling a refrigerant (cooling water) is disposed. Accordingly, the cowling has an air intake hole for taking in the air supplied to the radiator and an air discharge hole for discharging the air having passed the radiator to the outer side. Patent Document 2 discloses the configuration where the air discharge hole is disposed on the side surface of the cowling.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-90893
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 06-156348
The conventional example like Patent Document 1 in which the engine bracket 9 has the bent portions causes reduction in longitudinal stiffness (axial force) of the engine bracket 9 as it is. This requires increasing the plate thickness of the engine bracket 9 or selecting a type of material having high mechanical strength, thus causing weight increase and cost increase.
Furthermore, the narrow mounting width of the engine bracket 9 and the presence of the bent portions cause a low contribution rate for improving the longitudinal stiffness or the torsional stiffness of the vehicle body. Further, mounting the radiator on the engine bracket 9 might cause resonance due to engine vibration. Accordingly, the increase in thickness of the engine bracket 9 and similar measure required to ensure sufficient support stiffness causes weight increase.
Because the tightening position on the vehicle body frame side in the engine bracket 9 hides behind the radiator, removal of the engine bracket 9 requires to remove the radiator. Accordingly, the work must require a lot of labor.
Further, the air discharge hole like Patent Document 2 discharges the air having passed the radiator rearward and obliquely outward, and thus is opened to face the rear and obliquely outer side. This configuration allows seeing the exposed equipment such as the engine through this air discharge hole when the motorcycle is viewed from the rear and obliquely outer side. This causes a problem that ruins the beauty of the motorcycle's appearance.
Methods for hiding the inside equipment through the air discharge hole include a method for molding a portion that overlaps the air discharge hole so as to hide this air discharge hole in the cowling. However, the configuration that manufactures the cowling by injection molding does not allow formation of the portion overlapping the air discharge hole in the cowling.